Our main finding was that groups showed stable personalities:
✅ Across acoustic noise and control treatments
✅ Across repeated trials

Repeatable group-level differences were seen across all behaviours measured

📊X = trial 1, Y = trial 2

5/6

What we found:
📉 Shoals had fewer following events in the noise condition than the control

But we saw no clear change in leadership, swimming speed, or group cohesion

📊light = treatment, dark = control

4/6

We tested whether acoustic noise 📢 disrupts decision-making in guppy shoals using a 5-arm maze ⭐️

We expected added noise to interfere with group cohesion, exploration and leadership success

📸 image from tracking software

🔴fish attempting to lead

3/6

Out now 🎉
The second paper from my Masters published in Scientific Reports!

We explored how acoustic noise affects collective behaviour in guppies 🐟

With fab co-authors: Ella Waples, @andyradford.bsky.social, Steve Simpson & @ccioannou.bsky.social

🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

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Epic sunrise today from @bristolbiosci.bsky.social terrace, the best view spot in Bristol!🌅

Thanks to those who’ve helped me along the way, including Toby Champneys, Iestyn Penry-Williams and @collectiveecology.bsky.social, my MRes examiners @cbenvenuto.bsky.social and @mgenner.bsky.social, and special thanks to fellow pond enthusiast @coszan.bsky.social and her field assistant Ugo🐾

12/12

From our data we found fish were less aggregated when more red, breeding condition males were present #stickleback

8/12

As well as count data, we recorded the body length of each individual and whether they were in breeding condition (male sticklebacks turn red when in breeding condition!)

📈3 weeks of data collection at one site
a = aggregation score
🔴 = 100% red males
🟡 = 50% red males
⚪️ = 0% red males

6/12

To overcome these challenges we use traditional ecology methods: a transect design and minnow traps, to collective information about the distribution of individuals in the population

4/12

We looked at social behaviour in #stickleback populations from 4 ponds in Bristol (📸 below). These sites tended to have problems with access to water, turbid water and vegetation that would obscure camera view

3/12

I’m very happy to share my first paper, and the first from my Masters, is out in Royal Society #OpenScince 🤩 w/ coauthor and supervisor @ccioannou.bsky.social

🔗 royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...

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